Supervisory mechanism



E. c. HEALY. SUPERVISORY MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 8,19l9.

Patented Feb. 28, 1922.

Inventor PATENT OFFICE.

UNITED STATES ELLIS C. HEALY, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO NEWMAN CLOCK COMPANY, INC., OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

SUPERVISORY MECHANISM.

Application filed April 8,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELLIS C. HEALY, a citizen of the United States, residing at East Orange, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Supervisory Mechanism, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention which constitutes the subject matter of this application relates to a supervisory mechanism and has to do with a device for controlling access to keys or other suitable recording devices contained in a receptacle located adjacent to a valve which constitutes a partof a sprinkler or other system. One of the importantfeatures of the invention consists in the provision of inexpensive and simplified mechanism for controlling access to keys or other recording instruments for producing records upon the record dial of a watchmans clock to indicate the condition-of the valve; that is to say, when the valve is open, as it normally should be, access may be had to a watchmans key, but if the valve is closed, or partly so, this particular key or other instrument for producing a record upon the record dial of a watchmans clock is not available, but that another key is presented which makes a characteristic record for indicating the condition of the valve. Each valve of this system is equipped with recording devices to enable the watchman to effect a record upon the record dial of his clock, which will indicate the time which the station was visited as well as its condition.

, .In the drawings:

Fig. 1 illustrates a side view of the preferred embodiment of my invention certain portions of the valve and certain parts of the recording mechanism being broken away and in section to show interior constructions. This figure also illustrates the position of the recording mechanism when the valve is in one of its extreme positions,in this case in its full open position.

I Fig; 2 is a view of the recording mechanism showing the position of the parts when thevalve is closed or partly so.

'Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 3-3 of %ig. 4 is a section along line 4-4 Fig. 3 looking in the direction of the arrow.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the ref ence numeral 10 de igna e the wa r Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 28, 1922.

1919. Serial No. 288,609.

supply to the sprinkler coming from any suitable pipe or main (not shown). Located in this supply is a valve 11 provided with a yoke 12, a threaded sleeve 13 rotatably mounted in the yoke, a valve stem 14 screw threaded to the sleeve 13 and a manipulating hand wheel 15 fixed to the sleeve 13 and adapted to rotate the same in order to impart longitudinal movement to the valve stem 14 and the gate valve (not shown) attached thereto.

The valve stem 14 projects substantially above the manipulating wheel 15 and surrounding this upwardly projecting portion is asleeve 16 screw threaded or otherwise rigidly secured to a base 17 which is in turn fixed, as by bolts 18, to the hand wheel 15. This sleeve is swivelled by means of the members 19 and 20 to one end of a-rigid tubular member 21, the other end of said member being connected by any suitable means to the container 22.

The mechanism I have just described constitutes no part of the invention of the present application except so far as it is a part of the patentable combination with the novel features which I shall now proceed to describe.

WVithin the tubular member 21 is contained a flexible liner 23, the length of which, as will be apparent from the drawing, is substantially the same as the length of the tubular member 21. Within the liner 23 is a flexible and tubular wire coil 24 which fits the liner rather snugly and within this coil is a flexible rod 25. The corresponding ends or terminals of the coil 24 and rod 25 are secured to each other, and in turn to the valve stem 14 and sidable member 26 respectively. The object of the liner 23 is to avoid any backlash in the back and forth movement of the members 24 and 25. The employment of two members 21 and 23 enables the use of standard materials throughout the connection between the valve stem 14 and the container 22. It will therefore be clear that a single specially constructed tubular member may be substituted for the tubular iember 21 and its liner 23. The employment of the flexible tube 24 made up of closed coils gives sufficient rigidity to prevent those portions of the rod 25 which project from the liner 23, from buckling. in theory at least it may also be said that the tubular coil 24 serves to move the Slidable member 26 in one direction and the rod 25 serves to move said slidable member in the other direction. In other words, the combined action of these two members 24 and 25 is such that any movement of the valve stem will result in a corresponding movement of the slidable member 26.

lVithin the container 22 is a rotatable or pivoted shaft 27 to which is rigidly secured a mutilated gear 28, a lever 29-3O in the shape of a walking beam, and an arm 31. To the arm-29is connected a key 32 which is in the position illustrated in Figure 1 when the valve is normally open; that is to say, it is'available for making a record upon the record dial of a watchmans clock to incheats, for instance, that the valve 11 is open. To the other arm 30 is connected a key 33 which is in the position illustrated in Fig. l, and therefore inaccessible, when the valve isopen. lVhen the valve is closed or partly so the position assumed by the various parts is illustrated in Figure 8; that is the key 33 is available for making a record while the key 32 is inaccessible for that purpose.

Theslidable member 26 is provided with a rack 34 normally engaging with the teeth onthe mutilated gear 28, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 1. lVhen the valve 11 is being moved from its full open position towards its closed position the gear is rotated until the mutilated portion comes opposite the rack thus permitting the continuation of the movement of the slidable member 26. The gear 28 being fixed, as it is, to the shaft 27 the latter is of course rotated carrying with it the lever 29-30 and arm 31 to the position substantially illustrated in Fig. 3. The shaft with its arms and gears is locked against further movement as will be understood.

When the parts are in the position illustmted in Fig. 3 the toe 35 on the arm 31 will be positioned in the path of the lug 36 on the downward movement of the slid-able member 26, the relationship being such that the lug 36 engages thetoe 35 imparting a SlllllClGllt reverse movement rotation of the gear to enable the first tooth 37 to engage the first space 38of the rack. It is desirable to have only that amount of teeth on the rack as will bring the mutilated portion ol" the gear to the position shown in Fig. 3. Below this point'on the rack the latter is smooth to lock the' gear against any it'urther rotation. In

"other words the gear is locked from further movement in a fashion somewhat like the locking action in the well known Geneva movement.

lVithin. the key receptacle 22 there is provided abridge 39 separating the two key chains, thus preventing them from becoming entangled one with the other.

- From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a simple mechanism to enable the watchman to make a record while visiting any particular station irrespective of the position of the valve. In operation the supervisor or watchman visits each valve equipped with my invention and if the valve is found to be open a particular recording instrument will be available for making a record to indicate that fact. It the valve is closed or partly so, another recording instrument will be available for indicating this condition and the first mentioned instrument will be inaccessible. Therefore the supervisor will only have to make his rounds and make the records with those keys which are available, it being understood that when one key at a station is accessible the other is not. In the drawings I have illustrated recording instruments to record two conditions. lVhile three or more keys or recording devices may be employed to record 85 a plurality of conditions I have restricted the present disclosure to two in order to avoid surplusage in illustration and description. It is to be further understood that I do not limit myself to the specific construction herein illustrated and described as many changes may be made in points of detail and other embodiments resorted to without deviating from the true spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim is 1. In combination, a valve, a plurality of manually operable recording devices, and

means controlled by said valve for rendering one or another of said devices available 100 to produce a record depending on the condition oi": said valve.

2. A valve provided with a stem, of means for imparting a longitudinal movement to said stem, in combination with a plurality of recording keys for indicating certain conditions of the valve, and means connected to said valve and keys for automatically rendering that key available which corresponds to the condition of the valve.

3. A valve provided with a. stem. of: means For imparting a longitudinal movement to said stein. in combination with a key pro vided with means operable when the valve is in normal position for producing a record 1115 upon a record dial, a second key provided with means operable when the valve is not in normal position for producing a correspondingrecord upon a record dial, and means actuated by the IIlO'r'GIllQlll} of the valvestem I 20 for presenting that key which indieatesthe position of the valve and for rendering the other key inaccessible. V

4. In combination. a valve, means for'operating said valve, a plurality of keys for 125 making records to indicate the conditions of said valve, and means controlled by said first named means for rendering available not more than one key at a time:

5. The combination with'a' valve '13!) with an operating inember and a member operated thereby, of record producing means for indicating the open and closed condition of the valve, and means for setting said record producing means by the actuation of said valve.

6. In a supervisory mechanism for a sprinkler or other fluid system, a valve, means for making distinctive records to indicate a plurality of positions of the valve, means for operating the valve, and means controlled by said valve-operating means for selectively controlling the use of said first named means.

7. In combination, a valve, operating means therefor, manually operable means for producing a plurality of distinctive records, and means controlled by the first named means for selectively controlling manual operation of said record-producing means.

8. In combination, a valve, operating means therefor, a plurality of watchmans keys, and means controlled by the Valveoperating means for selectively controlling the use of said keys.

9. A system as described in claim 7 in which the valve is of the type having a longitudinally movable stem and which valve is employed to control a sprinkler system.

10. A system as described in claim 8 in which the valve is of the type having a longitudinally movable stem and which valve is employed to control a sprinkler system.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

ELLIS C. HEALY. 

